If you have been labelled anything for saying that we should take up more exercise, this was really unjustified.

However, I would not comment on the veracity of your theory. All theories are but theories.

The thing is that it is an extremely important matter and we must think about it in objective terms. Rather than regarding it as a flaw in our character, why not just take it as a purely health issue and treat it as such.

Everyday I am seeing patients with stroke who are younger than 40, the last two I saw this week were 28 and 40 years. I mean this is a trend that must be reversed. We do not want to end up having people with strokes in their teens. This would be a catastrophe.

The most important first step is AWARENESS. Awareness at levels. The health ministry has to realize the proportion of the problem and the public has to be aware of the risk posed to their health if they do not change their behavior.

For a rich country like Qatar, it is not at all a problem to address this issue in practical terms. For instance, it would not be a deal for the government to build more gyms for people to take exercise in, to launch campaigns about dietary habits and so forth.

The money which would be used would be well-spend and would slash health costs in the future. So even in terms of economy, it would be a cost-effective strategy.